


Recital

by ShayneyL



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Clarinet, Gen, Music, Prompt Fic, Writer's Month 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:46:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25886800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShayneyL/pseuds/ShayneyL
Summary: Tom Paris hates the music Harry Kim has chosen to play on his clarinet tonight, but doesn't want to hurt his feelings by telling him.
Relationships: Harry Kim & Tom Paris & B'Elanna Torres
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10
Collections: Writer's Month 2020





	Recital

**Author's Note:**

> Writer's Month 2020, Day 13. The prompt is "music."

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ: *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Ordinarily, this was one of Tom's favorite things to do: sit in Harry's quarters and listen to him play his clarinet. Especially since B'Elanna had installed soundproofing, and Baytart no longer banged on the wall.

Not tonight. B'Elanna had expressed interest in the reason for the soundproofing, and had been invited to listen. Harry had apparently decided on Klingon music for the occasion. Tom wasn't sure if Harry wasn't playing it right or what, but he found it loud, dissonant, and thoroughly unpleasant.

"Is it supposed to sound like this?" he mouthed. Both he and B'Elanna were pretty good at lip-reading. B'Elanna because of years spent exchanging secret information as a Maquis, Tom because of way too much time in noisy bars.

"Yes," she said. "He's not bad." She laughed softly. "But you hate it."

"No, no, it's…" Tom couldn't think of anything to say, and decided on the truth. "You're right, I hate it."

"Klingon music was originally played on the battlefield. It was meant to scare away the enemy, or at least intimidate them."

It would definitely be effective, judging from the noise Harry was producing. Tom was starting to hope for a red alert.

"I'll tell him to play something else," she said.

"You'll hurt his feelings!"

"Don't worry, I'll be tactful."

" _You_? Tactful?" She punched him in the arm. "Ow!"

Harry stopped playing. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes," B'Elanna said. "I really appreciate your taking the time to learn this piece, Starfleet. Reminds me of my childhood. But how about playing something you can dance to?"

Harry's feelings didn't seem to be hurt. Obligingly, he began playing a lively jazz tune that was much more to Tom's taste. Grateful, he turned to B'Elanna and held out his hand. "Would you care to dance, madam?"

Together, they danced a tango around Harry's quarters while he played.


End file.
